Marijuana is the most widely available and frequently abused illicit
drug in Kentucky; it remains the foremost cash crop throughout the state.
Growers are increasingly using violence to protect themselves and their
crop in the state. Nearly 50 percent of all drug treatment admissions in
Kentucky from fiscal year 1998 through fiscal year 2000 were
marijuana-related--more than for any other drug--and the number of
treatment admissions for marijuana abuse increased 27 percent from fiscal
year 1998 through fiscal year 2000. Cannabis is more commonly cultivated
outdoors in Kentucky, but the number of indoor cannabis grows is
increasing. Kentucky ranked among the top three states in the nation for
the number of cannabis plants eradicated each year from 1998 through 2000.
In 2000 over 460,000 cannabis plants were eradicated in Kentucky, ranking
it third behind California and Hawaii, respectively. Local independent
Caucasian producers cultivate most of the marijuana available in the state
and are the dominant wholesale distributors of locally produced marijuana.
Local independent producers also distribute Mexico-produced marijuana,
often using it as filler for their product. Mexican criminal groups--the
primary transporters of Mexico-produced marijuana into Kentucky--usually
sell wholesale quantities to local independent Caucasian dealers, who are
the dominant retail distributors of Mexico-produced marijuana. Local
independent Caucasian dealers also are the dominant retail distributors of
locally produced marijuana. Retail marijuana sales usually occur in
private residences, bars, and restaurants in the state.

Marijuana is the most frequently abused illicit drug in Kentucky, and
treatment admissions for marijuana abuse are increasing. According to the
Kentucky Division of Substance Abuse, nearly 50 percent of all admissions
to publicly funded treatment facilities in Kentucky from FY1998 through
FY2000 were marijuana-related--more than for any other drug. Treatment
admissions in the state for marijuana abuse increased 27 percent, from
9,879 in FY1998 to 12,584 in FY2000.

In Kentucky marijuana often is used in combination with alcohol or
other drugs. There are significant numbers of marijuana abusers in all
urban centers, particularly in the counties of western and northeastern
Kentucky.

Marijuana abuse is prevalent among Kentucky high school students.
Treatment admissions for marijuana abuse for 15 to 19 year olds increased
25 percent, from 1,493 admissions in FY1998 to 1,862 in FY2000. According
to YRBS data, 46 percent of Kentucky high school students who responded to
the survey in 1999 reported that they had used marijuana at least once in
their lifetime; 24 percent reported that they had used marijuana in the 30
days preceding the survey.

Marijuana is the most widely available illicit drug in Kentucky. All
DEA resident offices in Kentucky report that marijuana availability is
widespread. The number of cannabis plants eradicated in Kentucky is
indicative of the prevalence of marijuana in the state. Several hundred
thousand cannabis plants are eradicated indoors and outdoors each year in
the state, ranking Kentucky as one of the largest producers of marijuana
in the nation. DEA's Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP)
operations resulted in the eradication of 342,093 plants during 1998,
526,388 plants during 1999, and 466,933 plants during 2000. Maintenance
issues with helicopters used in cannabis eradication initiatives have
resulted in a decrease in flight hours, cited as the cause for the
decrease in the number of plants eradicated during 2000.

Kentucky's cannabis growing season influences marijuana availability in
the state and throughout the region. Weather conditions have a significant
impact on the outdoor cannabis harvest. Planting generally occurs in
April, and plants are harvested in September or October after the first
heavy frosts. Locally produced marijuana generally is available after the
harvest and through the winter months. Mexico-produced marijuana is used
as filler for the higher-grade marijuana produced locally and as a
supplement for locally produced marijuana after the previous season's
supply has been exhausted.

Marijuana prices throughout most of Kentucky are stable; however,
marijuana prices in Louisville have decreased slightly. In Louisville a
pound of marijuana sold for $1,800 to $2,400 in 1995 and for $1,800 in
2000. According to a survey of Kentucky State Police, the price of
marijuana varies from $3 per gram in rural communities to $12 per gram in
metropolitan areas. The statewide average price is $5 per gram. Although
prices for each type of marijuana were not specified, law enforcement
officers report that locally produced marijuana typically commands a
higher price than Mexico-produced marijuana.

The production of marijuana is increasingly associated with violence.
Growers in Kentucky are known to protect themselves and their crops with
firearms, explosives, and booby traps, posing a greater threat to law
enforcement and the public. Marijuana growers operating on federal land in
Kentucky have verbally and physically assaulted visitors to national
forests. The U.S. Forest Service advises that booby-trapped cannabis
cultivation sites may endanger visitors. The use of weapons and explosives
has resulted in a rise in related crimes such as assaults, illegal
possession of firearms, and murders. The number of weapons seized during
cannabis eradication program operations nationwide has more than doubled
over the past decade.

Large quantities of cannabis are cultivated in Kentucky. The largest areas of
cultivation are in the central and eastern parts of the state with sporadic
cultivation in western Kentucky. Most cannabis is cultivated on large, isolated
parcels of land throughout the rural, mountainous areas, making these plots
inaccessible by any means other than by foot, four wheel drive, or aircraft.

Kentucky is a significant producer of marijuana for the region and the
nation. Kentucky continually ranked among the top three states for the number of
cannabis plants eradicated from 1998 through 2000. Over 460,000 cannabis plants
were eradicated in Kentucky in 2000, ranking it third behind California and
Hawaii. More than 40 percent of the cannabis plants grown in the United
States--an estimated 1.6 million outdoor plants--are cultivated in the
Appalachia region. From 1990 through 2000, the Daniel Boone National Forest,
located in eastern Kentucky, has led all national forests for the number of
cannabis plants eradicated. In 1999, 38 percent (184,000 plants) of all cannabis
eradicated on national forest land was taken from the Daniel Boone National
Forest.

Eradication Efforts Successful

Kentucky is one of five states that produces 90 percent of the nation's
domestically produced marijuana, and it is a leading producer state in the
nation's southeastern "marijuana belt."

DCE/SP operations were considered successful in 2000. Its efforts resulted in
the arrest of 357 individuals and the seizure of 122 weapons and $507,607 in
assets. In 2000 Kentucky eradicated 466,933 cannabis plants from 8,415 outdoor
plots and 66 indoor plots.

Source: Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program.

Cannabis is more commonly cultivated outdoors in Kentucky, but the number of
indoor cannabis grows, including sophisticated hydroponic operations, is
increasing. According to 1998 DCE/SP statistics, California, Florida, Oregon,
Alaska, and Kentucky are the five leading states for indoor cannabis
eradication. All Kentucky DEA offices indicate that indoor cannabis cultivation
operations occur throughout their jurisdictions, and there have been
considerable increases in sophisticated hydroponic cannabis grow operations
since 1995. According to the Appalachia HIDTA, investigators in Kentucky are
discovering more growers who begin the cultivation process indoors. Often,
plants are started as clones to ensure growth of a female plant with high levels
of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). After 1 month the plants are sufficiently mature
to transplant outdoors. This process increases cannabis production since it
provides the opportunity to grow two outdoor crops per year. The Bowling Green,
Covington, Lexington, and Owensboro Police Departments report that indoor,
outdoor, and hydroponic cultivation occur throughout their areas.

Growing Cannabis Indoors

Growing cannabis indoors requires growth media, light, heat, humidity, and
nutrient solution. Plants or seeds are placed into various types of growth
media. The medium supports the plant and its roots. Indoor growers cultivate
cannabis organically or hydroponically. The organic method uses natural media
such as topsoil. Growing operations that use topsoil typically are less
sophisticated and require less maintenance than hydroponic operations. In a
hydroponic operation, cannabis is not grown in soil; instead, growers use an
inert growing medium to support the plant and its root system. Some popular
media include rock wool, vermiculite, perlite, and clay pellets.

Local independent Caucasian producers control cannabis cultivation throughout
Kentucky. Law enforcement agencies responding to the NDIC National Drug Threat
Survey 2001 reported that local independent producers dominate cultivation in
their jurisdictions. Most producers are Caucasian males, and most operate
independently or in small groups. Often, groups cultivating cannabis consist of
family members with each member having a specific role. Cannabis cultivators
represent a broad age range of individuals, from teenagers to senior citizens.

Mexican criminal groups are the primary transporters of Mexico-produced
marijuana into Kentucky, which they usually transport through California
and southwestern states. Specific information documenting the extent of
Mexican criminal groups transporting marijuana into Kentucky is largely
anecdotal. However, several federal, state, and major metropolitan police
investigations have documented the involvement of these groups in the
transportation of marijuana into the state. The Bowling Green Drug Task
Force and the Owensboro Police Department reported that Mexican criminal
groups are responsible for transporting Mexico-produced marijuana into
their jurisdictions from California and southwestern states. The Northern
Kentucky Drug Strike Force reported that all of the marijuana seized in
its jurisdiction is Mexico-produced and is transported from the Tucson,
Arizona, area.

Law enforcement officials have reported that Mexico-produced marijuana
is transported across the U.S.-Mexico border, then north to I-40 and I-70.
Law enforcement agencies in Utah and Oklahoma have intercepted marijuana
in large quantities destined for Kentucky and eastern states. For example,
the Utah State Police seized 136 kilograms of marijuana from an individual
traveling northbound on U.S. Highway 191 in Utah. The individual was en
route to Somerset, Kentucky, from Tucson, Arizona. The marijuana was found
in the trunk of the vehicle. A task force detective from eastern Kentucky
reported that most of the marijuana transported into Kentucky comes
through Texas, Arizona, and Tennessee. He also indicated that transporters
formerly used large, older automobiles to transport marijuana into the
area but now use compact cars. The Bowling Green Drug Task Force and the
Owensboro Police Department reported that Mexican criminal groups use
private vehicles and tractor-trailers to transport the drug into their
areas.

Marijuana also is transported through Kentucky in airline cargo. In
July 2000 a Louisville task force seized 7.3 kilograms of marijuana from a
package delivery shipment. The package, destined for Aiken, South
Carolina, had been shipped from Lawndale, California, through Louisville,
Kentucky, where it was seized. A second package containing 14.1 kilograms
of marijuana was shipped from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Boston, Massachusetts,
through Louisville. The packages were heavily taped, addressed by hand,
and shipped overnight from an unattended commercial package dropoff box.
The marijuana was believed to be Mexico-produced, although its source
could not be confirmed.

Local Caucasian criminal groups are the primary transporters of locally
produced marijuana within the state and throughout the region. Cannabis
grown in Kentucky reportedly is transported to the Midwest and East Coast
in shipments averaging less than 20 pounds. Destinations include Illinois,
Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Local independent Caucasians cultivate marijuana in the state and are
the primary wholesale distributors of locally produced marijuana in
Kentucky. The Bowling Green, Covington, and Lexington Police Departments
report that local independent dealers who likely produce the drug sell
wholesale quantities of marijuana in their jurisdictions. In addition, the
Covington Police Department reports that African American criminal groups
also distribute marijuana at the wholesale level in its jurisdiction.
Caucasian local independent dealers also distribute some Mexico-produced
marijuana often using it as filler for their product.

The same Mexican criminal groups that transport Mexico-produced
marijuana into Kentucky distribute it at the wholesale level. These groups
usually sell the marijuana to local Caucasian independent dealers who are
the dominant retail distributors of Mexico-produced marijuana.

Local Caucasian independent dealers and, to a lesser extent, local
gangs distribute both Mexico-produced and locally produced marijuana at
the retail level in Kentucky. Most law enforcement agencies report that
local Caucasian independent distributors between the ages of 20 and 30 are
the primary marijuana retail distributors in the state. Although more than
half of the law enforcement agencies responding to the NDIC National Gang
Survey 2000 indicated that local gangs distribute marijuana at the retail
level, these local gangs appear to be secondary to local independent
dealers as retail marijuana distributors. The Bowling Green, Covington,
Lexington, and Owensboro Police Departments all report that local
independent dealers dominate retail distribution in their jurisdictions.
These dealers are often Caucasian males, according to a drug task force
detective. Retail marijuana sales generally occur in private residences,
bars, and restaurants in the state.